The Echoes of War
by DeathBelle
Summary: The Candy Kingdom is under attack. The Prince must flee the castle to preserve his life, leaving his people at the mercy of the enemy. He escapes with Fionna, Cake, and Marshall and they struggle to make sense of the attack and find a way to reclaim the Candy Kingdom. Will they find allies to take their side in the war, or will the land of Aaa be lost to a new dictator?
1. Chapter 1

The Candy Kingdom had devolved into a warzone. Clusters of citizens ran at a breakneck pace through the streets, dodging heaps of debris and the spatter of fires that had broken out, the flames rising to devour some of the kingdom's structures. A miscellaneous collection of pursuers was on their heels, waving swords and knives and bellowing threats. Most of the candy people forged a trail toward the castle. They thought they could find refuge there, seek the safety that their prince had always afforded them. This time, though, there was no sanctuary waiting.

Something slammed into the front doors of the castle, most likely a battering ram. A row of banana guards waited in the foyer, spears at the ready. They wouldn't stand a chance against the invasion once they breached the castle, and the ruler of the Candy Kingdom knew it.

Prince Gumball had fled into the core of the castle, his retreat largely involuntarily. Fionna dashed along at his side, one hand gripping her sword and the other on the Prince's arm, dragging him along.

"I can't leave the candy people!" protested Gumball as he staggered along. "I must protect them!"

"There's nothing you can do," Fionna said, her pace not slowing. "There's too many, we can't fight them."

An explosion rocked the castle, sending the two flying. Gumball landed in the center of the hallway, unharmed, but Fionna crashed into the wall on her way down. The impact tore a painting from the wall and sent it hurdling to the floor.

Fionna was back on her feet in an instant, briefly pausing to press a hand against the side of her face. It came away tainted with red. "What was that?"

"One of the bubblegum guardians fell." Prince Gumball was still on the floor, staring at the ceiling in a daze. "This can't be happening, Fionna. I've ruled this kingdom for centuries."

"Fionna!"

She whipped her head around at the sound of her name to find Cake running toward her from the other end of the hall. Marshall Lee floated behind her, his typical easygoing attitude replaced by something more menacing.

"Cake! We have to get out now, the bubblegum guardians are falling."

"I know honey," said Cake. The cat looked at Gumball. "Well don't just lay there, let's get moving!"

"I can't leave them like this," the prince muttered. "I'm staying with my people. It's the right thing to do."

Marshall swooped in and hovered a foot above him. "Shut it," the vampire snapped. His eyes burned red, smoldering like the first spark of a flame. "If you're that eager to die I'll kill you and get it over with. It'll save us all some time."

"Marshall, stop!" Fionna said, shoving him away. "You're not helping."

The vampire stared at her for a long moment, tracing the drizzle of blood that snaked a trail along her cheek. Then he swallowed and looked back at the prince. "They won't kill your candy people," he said. "Not all of them, anyway. But they'll definitely kill you, and dying isn't going to help your kingdom at all."

Gumball still stared blankly at the ceiling as if the exchange hadn't happened.

"Cake?" Fionna asked, turning to her best friend. "Can you do something?"

"I'm on it," the feline replied. She inhaled and swelled like an inflating balloon, only stopping when the tips of her ears nearly touched the ceiling. Cake stepped forward and scooped up Gumball, trotting down the hallway with Fionna and Marshall close behind.

The group ventured deeper into the castle, rounding corners and climbing stairways until they reached the lab. Cake shrank just enough to fit through the doorway and Marshall followed her inside. Fionna, though, couldn't stop herself from peering through a window across the hall that overlooked the kingdom.

The fires had spread. A quarter of the wall-enclosed city was burning. Mayhem had erupted on the streets and her heart clenched at the sight. A large group of candy people had been corralled into one section of the kingdom. She could barely make them out, the group guarded by a ring of the opposing army. Even further in the distance she saw a few shapes disappearing into the forest. Some of them had escaped, but their number was very few.

"Fionna!"

Wrenching her gaze away, she turned and darted into the lab, slamming the door shut behind her. The room looked the same as it had during the zombie incident a few years before. The key difference was the company. Lord Monochromicorn and Cake had been her only companions then. That crisis had taught them all a valuable lesson and they had made preparations for the next time that such a catastrophe occurred. This happened to be that catastrophe.

"Okay people," Cake said, placing Gumball on his feet and shrinking back to her typical size. "Get in the science shower. Hustle, babies!" She stretched her arm and pulled open the transparent door, waiting for them to pile in.

Fionna grabbed Gumball and towed him across the room, pushing him into the shower stall and sliding in beside him. Cake shrank into a handful of fur and propelled herself up, burrowing underneath Fionna's hat. Marshall stared at them, floating just outside the science shower.

"Yeah, you guys go ahead," he said, waving them away. "I'm good."

"Shut up, Marshall," Fionna said, reaching out to yank him in. There was little room left with the three of them crammed into the stall and the space shrank even more when Fionna pulled the door shut.

"The control pad is right beside you," mumbled Fionna, one side of her face pressed against the glass. Cake peeked from beneath her white hat, a strand of the human's blonde hair curled around the cat's ear. "The code is 4479. Key it in."

Marshall, who appeared more uncomfortable than the rest of them combined, did as she said with palpable reluctance. A pale finger pressed the indicated keys and the floor dropped from beneath them, plunging the group into darkness.

The science shower had been rendered an escape pod, of sorts, that led to an underground tunnel that Gumball had commissioned after the zombie crisis. The small bundle of refugees followed the twists of the tunnel until finally emerging in a close copse of trees in the middle of the forest. They walked without speaking, occasionally exchanging sober glances for the exception of Marshall Lee, who avoided eye contact altogether. Eventually the sun began to peek over the horizon and the vampire's skin started to prickle with a warning.

"I have to stop," he said, watching pale smoke furl away from his flesh. "There's a cave just over this ridge. I'll hang out there and you guys can keep going."

"Shut up, Marshall," Fionna said again, glaring at the suggestion.

Moments later they had taken shelter in the cave that the vampire had led them to. The entrance was small, requiring them to crawl inside, but the interior was large enough to house them all comfortably. They stood around awkwardly, waiting for someone else to approach the problem that they were all deliberating.

"So…" Fionna started when it was clear that no one else would speak. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"_We_ aren't doing anything," Marshall said. "You and your prince and your cat are going to keep running before they catch us."

"Don't be stupid. We're not leaving you here alone. We wouldn't have even made it out of there if it wasn't for you, Marshall. How'd you know they were planning to attack anyway?"

The vampire's eyes shifted away from her, staring at a fixed point across the cave. Without answering he leaned against a stone wall and slid into a sitting position, arms folded.

"Who is responsible?" Gumball asked. He still seemed somewhat dazed but he was beginning to sink back into the present, if slowly. "I could not see the invaders clearly enough to recognize them. I can't imagine who would be willing to wreak such destruction on my kingdom." He mimicked Marshall's motions, slumping into a heap on the cave floor. "My candy people are innocent. They don't deserve such a fate."

"It's kind of your own fault, Bubba," Marshall said, the snide comment slinking through the damp air like a cobra. "You're the one who made Lady Lemongrab. It's her soldiers out there killing everyone. Way to go."

Gumball shook his head. "That isn't true. She wouldn't launch an attack against me. We are allies."

"Not anymore."

"He's telling the truth," Fionna chimed in, recalling the scene that she had viewed through the high castle window. She hadn't been able to make out the individual foes, but they had been a suspiciously bright shade of yellow. "It was Lemongrab. But why would she want to do this? PG has only helped her!"

"Wasn't her idea," said Marshall.

"Then whose was it?"

Again Marshall failed to answer, suddenly finding the rocks at his feet fascinating.

"Marshall!"

"It doesn't matter," he snapped, his eyes flashing red for an instant before dimming back to shadowed black. "It doesn't change anything. They'll be looking for you, Bubba, and anyone who's close to you. So if you have any friends who aren't trapped in the kingdom they're going to have some problems of their own."

"Sweet babies!" Cake yelped, her tail exploding into bottlebrush frizz. "I have to warn Mo-Chro!"

"I wouldn't go near him if I were you," the vampire suggested.

"And why the glob not?"

"Well, he's a monochromicorn," Marshall said with a shrug. "Not exactly trustworthy, are they? He's probably waiting for you to show up so he can turn you in."

Cake didn't answer; at least not verbally. She lunged at him, a hiss bursting from behind sharply pointed teeth. Fionna caught her just before she pounced onto Marshall, her arms wrapped around the writhing furry body.

"Cake, stop!" she said, struggling to hold back her friend. "He doesn't know Lord Monochromicorn. He doesn't know any better."

"I'll claw your eyes out!" Cake screeched. "Don't you talk about my man!"

"Enough!" Fionna wedged herself between Marshall and Cake, blocking the latter's view. "It's okay, Cake. I'm sure Mo-Chro is fine, but it's not smart to go looking for him. What if the lemons are watching his place, waiting for us to show up?"

"That's just too bad then," Cake said. "I can't just sit around without knowing he's okay."

"Stupid," Marshall murmured under his breath. Fionna cut in before Cake could react.

"Fine, that's fine," she said quickly. "We'll go check on him. I'll go with you."

Cake looked up at her human companion. "Oh honey, no," she said. "If they are watching then I'm not going to let you get hurt. It's just a couple miles through the forest, I'll be there in two shakes of a kitty cat's tail." She swished her own tail back and forth, as if to emphasize the promise.

"Cake, no. I can't let you go on your own."

"I'm sorry honey." The cat wrapped her paws around Fionna's waist, hugging her tightly. Then Cake sidestepped around her and glared at Marshall. "If you have a decent bone in your creepy dead body you won't let her follow me."

"What?" Fionna said. "Cake, what does that—"

Before the question was finished Cake darted from the cave, disappearing through the small opening that was slowly being lit by the arrival of dawn.

"No," she said, staring after her. "No no no, Cake! Cake, come back here now!" She ran for the door but Marshall Lee swooped up to block the exit.

"Stop it!" Fionna shouted, shoving him. "I have to follow her! What if she gets hurt?"

"Are you kidding? She's too mean to get hurt," Marshall said. Fionna struggled to push past him and he gripped her upper arms firmly, holding her in place. He stared down at her, pinning her not only with his hands but with his gaze. "She's fine, Fionna," he said. "Just calm down. She'll be back soon, okay?"

Fionna's face crumpled and she yanked herself away from him, sharply turning her back and pacing to the far end of the shallow cave. She sank down beside Prince Gumball with a huff, masking her concern with irritation.

"You shouldn't have said that about Lord Monochromicorn," she said, crossing her arms and glaring at the vampire. "That just made her want to go more. If she gets hurt I'll kill you."

"Big words coming from such a little girl," Marshall said, though the usual spark that heated his taunts was absent. "Besides, you know I'm right. Monochromicorns are sketchy as hell. Maybe yours is different, but then again, maybe not."

"Of course he's different. If he wasn't Cake wouldn't like him."

"Right, because she's such a great judge of character."

"She doesn't like you," Fionna snapped. "That's proof enough for me."

"Lord Monichromicorn is my friend," announced Prince Gumball as if that ended the argument. His eyes were still somewhat distant, seeing something far beyond the cave.

Marshall scoffed at the declaration but stopped arguing.

For a while the trio sat in silence. Marshall and Gumball stared at different fixed points in the cave, both mentally elsewhere. Fionna buried her face in her arms and tried to convince herself that Cake was fine. She would be, anyway, until she got back. Then Fionna might maim her for leaving like that.

Time trickled by. Minutes leaked into an hour, then two. It appeared that Marshall had dozed against the wall, but Fionna didn't believe he was really sleeping. She had a lurking feeling that he was peeking at her when she looked away.

Finally she couldn't take the quiet anymore.

* * *

_A/N I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this story! Reviews are appreciated, especially suggestions for improving my writing or the characters. I'm not sure which pairings are going to emerge yet. I prefer to just see how things happen. It seems more natural that way. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

"That's it!" Fionna shouted, leaping up so quickly that Gumball yelped. Marshall calmly opened his eyes, as if the outburst was entirely expected. "I have to go after Cake. She should've been back by now and I'm going to get her."

She stomped toward the door, looking past Marshall as if the vampire wasn't there. She was forced to face him, however, when he floated into her path.

"Just give her a little more time," he said. "You're being hasty."

"Hasty?" Fionna repeated, affronted. "You think I'm _hasty_, Marshall Lee? I'll show you _hasty_." She slid her sword from its secure position behind her backpack and sliced it through the air between them. The pink edge glistened dully.

Marshall snorted. "Yeah, right. We both know you're not going to hurt me, Fionna."

"Not if you move out of my way."

"I don't know why you think I'm afraid of you."

Instead of answering she lunged with the blade. The vampire leaped back and the sword missed him by a few inches.

"What is wrong with you?" he said, shocked. "Stop it before I have to hurt you."

"I don't know why you think I'm afraid of you, Marshall," Fionna snapped back, mimicking him.

"Guys, please," Gumball said, finally deciding to intervene. He stood, wincing as his limbs stretched out of their cramped position. He advanced on the pair with his palms out in a placating gesture. "This will help nothing. We need to find a solution to the problem, not fight each other. I've been thinking through a few strategies, and it is best if we – "

A wordless snarl growled through Fionna's gritted teeth and she swung her crystal sword again, ignoring the prince altogether. Marshall maneuvered sideways to dodge the blow. Before she could swing again he pressed against the wall and used it as a spring. He collided with Fionna, bringing her to the ground. The sword clattered onto the cave floor as they grappled. Gumball hovered over them anxiously, at a loss for how to stop the conflict.

After a struggle Marshall seized control. He pinned Fionna's arms to the stone floor, using his weight to keep her there. She fought against his hold but couldn't break it. Fionna let her head fall back against the ground, panting. Marshall leaned over her, his face a few inches from hers.

"I'm trying to protect you," he said. Fionna had expected him to be smug, overly pleased with himself for overcoming her. Instead there was only anger glowing in his eyes, his inner demon shining through. "Stop being stupid and let me."

"Cake is my best friend," said Fionna, still breathing heavily. "My sister. I can't just sit around and wait to see if she ever comes back!"

"Calm down, baby, I'm right here."

Both of them snapped their heads around to look at the cave's entrance. Cake looked back, silhouetted against the touch of daylight that filtered through the opening.

"Cake!" With a renewed burst of strength she flung Marshall away. He rolled once before recovering, baring fanged teeth at the human girl.

Disregarding him, Fionna dashed to Cake and crushed her in a hug.

"I can't believe you did that to me!" said Fionna, squeezing the feline so tightly that she squeaked. "Are you okay? Is Mo-Chro okay? What happened?"

"Everything is fine," Cake choked out. She shrank out of Fionna's grip and grew back to her normal size away from the vicegrip embrace. "He didn't even know anything was going on until I told him."

"Where is he?" Fionna peered past Cake as if the monochromicorn was somehow concealed behind her. "Didn't he come with you?"

"Well… no," said Cake. Her ears drooped. "I wanted him to come with us, but he wouldn't. It's _his_ fault," she said, glaring at Gumball with halfhearted accusation. "Mo-Chro wants to help PG get his kingdom back. He flew off to the castle."

"He did what?" said Prince Gumball, affronted. "He can't storm the castle on his own. He'll be annihilated!"

"He's not attacking them, you doof," said Cake. Her attention slid to Marshall and her expression soured. "As much as I hate to say it, and I really do, the vampire was right. Monochromicorns don't really have the best reputations. Mo-Chro went to the kingdom to pretend to join Lemongrab's army. Anyone who's not a poobrain would love to have a monochromicorn on their side."

"But he's always been friends with PG," Fionna said. "Won't they know he's lying?"

"Oh no, baby," Cake said. "Mo-Chro can be _very_ convincing." Her mouth curved into a smile and Fionna pretended to gag.

"Gathering information from the inside," Gumball said. He held his chin in one hand as he pondered, staring at the ceiling of the cave. "It's a start."

Marshall didn't seem as enthusiastic. "Assuming we can trust whatever info he brings back," he said. "How's he going to tell us, anyway? We can't sit here and wait around for him. We've got to move on as soon as possible or they'll find us."

"We arranged a secret meeting," Cake said. "In a couple of days."

"Where?"

"Well if I told you that it wouldn't be a secret, now, would it?"

Before Marshall could press further Fionna said, "That doesn't explain why you were gone so long, Cake. Talking through all of that might take thirty minutes, tops. I thought you'd died!"

"Well, it's a crisis out there," Cake shrugged, her eyes roaming the floor of the cave. "We might not make it to tomorrow alive. I had to tell him goodbye properly, didn't I?"

Marshall's face bunched up in disgust and Gumball looked in the opposite direction, pretending he hadn't heard. Fionna stared at Cake for a long moment, confused, before she grasped the implication.

"Ohhhh," she said, finally interpreting correctly. "So you… and he… oh." She turned on her heel and marched back to the center of the cave, pressing a hand to the side of her face to try and hide the blush that crept into her cheeks. "Moving on!" she announced, trying to shake off the awkward moment. "We have a little while until sunset but we need to decide what we're going to do when we can go. Any ideas?"

Everyone just stared at her.

"Okay then…" she said slowly. "Well, umm, there's plenty of room at the tree fort for you guys, but-"

"But that's the first place they'll look," Cake said, finishing the thought. "They know you're the Candy Kingdom's hero. They probably want you just as much as they want him." She nodded toward Gumball.

"That depends on their motives," the prince said, his brow scrunched in thought. "We still don't know why they wanted to overthrow me and take the kingdom."

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Marshall, raising a skeptic eyebrow at the prince. He reclined in midair, arms folded across his chest.

"Well… no, not really," Gumball said. "I created Lemongrab. I gave her a lemon kingdom to run herself. I can't imagine why she would turn traitorous."

"Does no one listen to me, like, ever?" Marshall said with a roll of dark eyes. "I told you it wasn't her idea. She's a pawn, you idiot."

"Maybe we'd listen if you'd actually say something important!" Fionna said. "If it's not Lemongrab doing this then who is it?"

"I said it doesn't matter."

"Marshall!"

"Glob, Fionna, stop waving that thing at me!" Marshall swooped backward as Fionna's sword cut through the air in front of him. "I'll tell you but you're not going to like it. Especially you, Bub."

"I don't particularly like any of this," Gumball said flatly. "Nothing could make it worse."

Marshall sighed, reluctant. "Well… okay then. Lemongrab got the idea from someone else. She's just following orders because she was promised control over the Candy Kingdom after the raid was over."

"Whose orders?" threatened Fionna, still pointing her sword at the vampire.

There was a heavy pause before Marshall said, "The queen ordered it. The Queen of Aaa."

Gumball's jaw went slack. He stared at the vampire with wide eyes for a long moment. Then his face reddened with a flush of anger. "I should have known!" He shouted, startling the rest of the small group. Cake jumped back with a hiss, her tail frizzing in surprise. "She's been waiting for a chance to undermine me! She's not even a real queen, she has no authority over anyone unless they allow her to! All she does is ride around in that stupid balloon, trying to charm people into following her. She's such an evil, whacked-out psycho!"

He spun on his heel and started pacing furiously, muttering under his breath. The others just stared.

"Don't hold back, Gummy," Marshall said, his eyebrows raised so high that they were nearing his hairline. "Tell us how you really feel."

"But why would she do this?" asked Fionna. "What does she have to gain?"

"Nothing!" Gumball shouted. "She just hates me! This is personal, what other reason could it possibly be?"

"It's a power play," Marshall said. "She's collecting allies so she can take control over Aaa. I mean yeah, she's the queen or whatever, but it's mostly a title. She wants to actually rule every kingdom and yours seemed like the best place to start."

"Despicable," Gumball spat. "The nerve… my people, my kingdom, ruined…"

"Hang on one hot second," Cake said. "How do you know all this anyway?"

"Oh, you know," Marshall said with a shrug. "Word gets around."

"You're hiding something," Fionna said, narrowing her eyes at the vampire. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Nothing!" Marshall said, clasping his hands behind his back and batting his eyes at her. "Nothing at all."

"Marshall…"

"What about his house?" said Cake. "No one would look for the prince at a vampire house."

Prince Gumball was too busy fuming to offer his input on the subject.

"No!" Marshall said quickly, holding his hands up as if to stave away the proposal. "No, you can't do that. We can't go anywhere near my house, that's not a good idea."

"Why?"

"We just can't."  
"You're being shady," Fionna said. "Like, shadier than usual. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "We just need a new plan. My place is out and so is yours. Where else can we hide?"

"Mo-Chro's is probably a bad idea," said Cake, "even though he left."

"All of PG's hideouts are inside the kingdom," said Fionna, watching the prince pace from one wall of the cave to the other and back again. "We've saved a lot of people but I don't know which ones we could trust to have our backs."

"The hot dog kingdom?" suggested Cake.

"Nah, too open," Fionna said. "There's not really much room to hide. Lumpy Space?"

"Come on baby." Cake rolled her eyes. "That secret would be out as soon as we walked in. It'd be the hottest piece of gossip they've had in years."

They fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, the only sound that of the flustered prince's footsteps.

Finally Fionna said, "I have an idea."

The others looked at her expectantly, but she stared at the ground, frowning.

"You're not going to like it," she said. "I sure don't." 

* * *

_A/N Thank you to those who reviewed! Getting your input on the story means a lot to me. Again, if you have feelings or opinions about this please leave them for me in a review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

"I feel that this isn't such a good idea after all," said Prince Gumball.

"It's a little late for that now, Bubs," Marshall said. He hovered at the prince's side, his head tilted back at the same angle as the rest of the group.

They stared upward at the gates of the Fire Kingdom. Rocks burned beneath their feet like coals, but they were unaffected. As soon as night had fallen the four refugees had set off, tracking down someone who could perform a flame shield spell before forging onward. Flambo had been found at the base of the craggy mountains that led into the Fire Kingdom. In exchange for a chunk of charcoal from Fionna's backpack, Flambo had performed the spell for each of them. Gumball had been the most reluctant.

"Magic," he'd muttered as they'd walked away from the sound of Flambo crunching down on the charcoal. "I can't believe I agreed to participate in a magic ritual."

Now that they had reached their destination, his mood was not much improved.

"How can we be sure that he will even allow us entry?" the prince said, standing with his feet planted firmly and his arms folded. "It is just as likely that he will refuse us aid. Or worse, perhaps he is working with the Queen. It is possible that he will take us as prisoners and turn us over to her."

"Flame Prince wouldn't do that," Fionna argued. Despite the blue hue of the flame shield, the flush rising to her cheeks was visible. "Even if he won't protect us he wouldn't give us up, either. Let's just go talk to him."

"You know, upon reflection he might be right," Marshall said, his mouth pulling into a frown. "The fire people and the vampires have never really gotten along. It's been more of a 'kill them before they can kill you' kind of relationship."

"Maybe that's how it was before, but you don't know FP," Fionna said. "He's a good guy."

"Have you met his mom?" Marshall scoffed. "Fruit of the poisonous tree."

"Whatever," snapped Fionna. "We're already here, let's just go. You with me, Cake?"

"Right here, baby."

"Right. Let's go."

Steeling herself, Fionna started forward through the rocky arch, Cake loyally plodding along at her side. The two boys hesitated.

"So the prince, or king, or whatever… he doesn't like you much, right?" asked Marshall.

"That's putting it rather mildly," said Gumball.

"Good," the vampire said with a forced smile. "Then maybe while he's busy chaining you up I'll have a chance to get away."

He swooped forward, following Fionna and Cake through the entryway.

"Ha ha," Gumball said with a scowl. "You aren't funny, Marshall Lee."

He stomped along behind them, his reluctance growing with each step.

Soon the group stood before the two soldiers who guarded the gate. "What is your business in the Fire Kingdom?" asked one guard. He tapped the end of his flaming staff against the ground as if to emphasize the importance of the question.

Though Gumball fidgeted beneath the stares of the imposing soldiers, it was he who answered.

"We seek an audience with the king," said Prince Gumball, drawing himself to his full height. Still the guards towered over him. "I have business to discuss with him, from one leader to another."

"Why are they with you then?" the other soldier asked, pointing at the others.

"They are my royal guard," Gumball said. "There are troublesome times in the kingdom. I do not feel safe venturing from one kingdom to another without adequate protection."

Fionna gaped at him, surprised that he had pieced that excuse together so quickly, especially since she knew how uncomfortable he was even approaching the Fire Kingdom.

The soldiers considered him for a moment, then seemed to accept his response.

"You may enter," one of them said. Both stepped aside and cleared the path that led to the throne room of the fire king.

Gumball strode forward first, the others belatedly following. Fionna caught up to him and matched his pace.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. "I thought you didn't even want to be here!"

"Of course I don't," he said. "But if we must be here then I will go about this properly. I am a prince, after all. I will do what is necessary to protect my people."

"Well yeah, of course, but… I just think I should be the one to talk to FP. I don't think he likes you all that much."

"That is irrelevant, Fionna," said Gumball, not slowing. "He doesn't have to be fond of me to make the right decision as a king."

"What happened to five minutes ago?" she asked, confused. "I thought you were convinced he would hand us over to the enemy!"

"He very well may," the prince said with a shrug. "It's a little too late for you to take that threat seriously now, isn't it? Considering you've already dragged all of us down here with you."

Fionna fell back a step. Gumball kept walking, his gait steady, his posture flawless.

"He's crazy," she said. The comment was mostly for herself, but Marshall overheard.

"Nah," the vampire said, floating alongside her. "He's busy being a prince right now. He'll freak out again later."

"Because that's not crazy at all," said Cake.

They passed through one last archway and emerged into the throne room. A cluster of fire citizens were grouped at the far wall, murmuring amongst themselves. From the ceiling a large lamp was suspended, the glass conspicuously empty. In the center of the space was a throne formed of pointed stones, occupied by Flame Prince.

As he looked at them Fionna stumbled. She grabbed Marshall's arm to steady herself and choked out a nervous laugh. Marshall pried himself out of her grasp with a roll of his eyes. "Geez, Fionna," he murmured. "Could you be any more obvious?"

She blushed crimson, which glowed as a deep purple through the flame shield. "Shut _up_, Marshall," she hissed, aiming a punch at his arm, which he dodged.

"Flame Prince," Gumball greeted, coming to a stop a few yards away from the throne. "It is an honor to be in your glorious kingdom." He bowed at the waist, one arm stretched away from him.

"Actually you can call me Flame _King_," the king corrected, raising an eyebrow at Gumball.

"Prince, King…" Marshall shrugged. "We're all royalty here. Except for Fionna and Cake. Peasants."

The two girls scowled at him but FP pretended the vampire hadn't spoken.

"What business do you have here, Prince Gumball?"

"The Candy Kingdom has been the target of war. My people are being killed and captured. I was forced to flee to save myself from the onslaught. We believe the culprit is Lady Lemongrab, directed by the Queen of Aaa herself."

The conversations of the fire citizens had ceased. Now all of them stared at the visitors, wide-eyed.

Flame Prince noticed. "I want everyone out of the throne room," he announced.

At once they began filtering toward the door, sparing curious looks over their shoulders. When the last of them had gone, leaving the king alone with the four refugees, he said, "That doesn't explain why you're here."

"You don't seem very surprised," Marshall remarked. "Maybe you were right, Gummy." He nudged Gumball with his elbow. "He could be working with Lemongrab and the queen after all."

"I am _not_," Flame Prince declared, his hair flaring into a brighter flame. "I don't appreciate you accusing me of something like that, vampire."

"Please," Prince Gumball intervened. "Hear us out. We fled the kingdom for our own safety. We may be the only ones who escaped; I am not certain. We have nowhere to hide from our enemies. I am asking you, Flame King – no, begging you for sanctuary. Please shelter us, at least for a short time until we can formulate a plan, regroup, and reclaim the Candy Kingdom."

"You want me to help you?" Flame Prince repeated.

"Yes," said Prince Gumball. "Please. You are the only person we could turn to."

"I'm a little confused why you felt the need to come to me for help," he said slowly, "since it was your fault that I was locked away in that lamp for the first thirteen years of my life." He jabbed a finger at the globe dangling from the ceiling, his eyes flaring with anger.

Fionna's heart sank. In her desperation to find safety – and, perhaps, to see if FP still wanted nothing to do with her – she had forgotten all of the problems that existed between the fire and candy kingdoms. There was no way he would agree to be an ally after all that had happened between him and Gumball.

"I understand why you're upset," Gumball said, raising his hands palms-out. "We've discussed this. Still, as a king it is your duty to put aside your personal feelings and make objective decisions."

"You're going to lecture me about being a proper king?" Flame Prince rose from his throne and stepped forward, standing so close to Gumball that the prince may have started to melt had it not been for the flame shield that encased him. "A prince who has to make his own subjects out of _sugar_ because he can't find any real citizens to take charge of? A prince who noses into the business of other kingdoms instead of just minding his own? A prince who made sure a baby was locked away _for his own safety_ so he couldn't have a life of his own? That doesn't sound like much of a prince at all. I don't want advice from you, Gumball. Not ever. I'm a better leader now than you've ever been."

Gumball was flustered; that much was obvious. His skin had darkened into an angry shade of fuchsia and his jaw clenched against words that were unwise to say.

"FP, come on," said Fionna, taking a step forward. "I mean, yeah, some of that stuff was really bad, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least think about-"

"No, Fionna," Gumball said, holding up a hand to silence her. "This is his decision. If he does not wish to help us then we will go without a fuss. He is the king here, after all."

Flame Prince glared at him, his eyes narrowed into slits of fire. They stared at one another for a long moment. Eventually the king's fire began to die down, returning to its usual smoldering height.

"I will not fight in this war," he said. "My position is not solid enough to make a decision like this."

Prince Gumball nodded. Fionna felt as if someone had slapped her in the face.

"However," Flame Prince continued, "I will let you stay here for a few days under my protection if you agree to follow all of my rules."

Fionna's sigh of relief was so heavy that she thought one of her lungs may have deflated.

"Except," said FP, "for him." He pointed a finger at Marshall, who stared impassively back.

"What?" Fionna said. "You're kidding, right? Right, FP?"

"Vampires aren't welcome here. They can't be trusted. If he goes, the rest of you can stay."

Gumball pressed a finger to his chin, seemingly lost in thought. Fionna was appalled.

"Come on, PG!" she said. "You can't seriously be thinking about it. We can't leave Marshall. He's the only reason you got out of the Candy Kingdom alive!"

"No, it's cool," Marshall said with a shrug. "I'll go. I don't really feel like crawling around down here with the fire people anyway. I'm better than this."

"You are better than none of us," Flame Prince said. "You claim to be a king. Where are your subjects? Why don't you run to them instead of grasping for straws? Maybe it's because you don't have any. What sort of king does that make you?"

"Trust me," said Marshall. "If I brought my people here yours would run screaming."

"No. We would burn you all and enjoy the show."

"FP!" Fionna said, shocked.

"It's fine, Fionna." Marshall shrugged, unbothered. "I'll catch up with you guys later. Good luck."

He turned to float away but didn't get very far.

"You stop _right there_, Marshall Lee." Her voice was sharp, like the edge of a blood-soaked sword. The vampire turned to find her standing with her feet planted firmly, hands balled into fists. "Stop being stupid."

Fionna's glare slid to Flame Prince. "I know we've had our problems," she said, "but that's all over, okay? This is what's going to happen. _You_-" She jabbed a finger in his direction. "-are going to let _him-_" Her finger turned to Marshall. "-stay here, too. He has just as much right to be here as we do. Marshall's never done anything to you. If you kick anyone out it should be me, not him." She put her hands on her hips as she continued, her voice growing snappier. "If you're going to offer help to the Candy Kingdom then you're giving it to him, too, because he deserves it. He's the one who saved us from the attack. I don't care if he's a vampire and I don't care if you don't like it, because you're going to do it anyway. Got it?"

They all stared at her. Fionna didn't flinch beneath their gazes but underneath the flame shield her face started to flush. Flame Prince studied her solemnly. At length he said, "The vampire can stay here for one day on a trial basis. If he follows our rules we'll talk about it. If he does anything out of line he's gone."

"Fine," Fionna answered before Marshall could respond. She folded her arms with a huff.

"I'm only doing it as a favor to you, Fionna," said Flame Prince. "Otherwise he'd already be gone."

Her bold attitude faltered. "Umm… okay. Thanks then, I guess."

"Wait here. I'll have a guard show you where you'll be staying."

He crossed the throne room and ducked through an opening in the stone wall.

As soon as he was out of sight Marshall said, "I think you and Cake need to spend some time apart. You're catching her sassiness."

"You're welcome," Fionna grumbled.

"Did you hear him?" Cake said. She nudged Fionna with her elbow. "He said he's doing you a _favor_."

"I know, I was here."

"People don't do people favors unless they really like them…"

"Stop it, Cake!"

"Don't yell at me. It's not my fault you still want your hotheaded man!"

"Cake!"

"Can we take this seriously for a moment?" said Prince Gumball. Fionna raised a burning face to look at him. "This only helps us for a few days. In the meantime the Candy Kingdom is still under Lemongrab or the queen or whoever's control. We must spend this time working on a plan, deciding who to approach as allies. And Marshall, you must not do anything to anger them. You're only safe as long as you're here with us."

"Yeah, yeah," the vampire said. "I hear you, Bub. Best behavior."

"We also have no time to try and reinstate old relationships," the prince continued. "Especially dangerous ones."

Before a blushing Fionna could respond, Cake chimed in. "There's always time for a hot man!"

Flame Prince cleared his throat. "Your rooms are waiting."

Fionna thought she might catch on fire, too, from the heat of embarrassment. They filed toward the door carved in the stone wall, Gumball in the lead, Marshall hovering at the rear. As they passed the king he said, "Fionna, will you wait one minute?"

She nodded feebly and hesitated. Marshall swept past her slowly, watching Flame Prince through narrowed eyes. Cake winked over her shoulder before bouncing along after Gumball.

When the others had progressed out of hearing range, Flame Prince said, "I'm glad you're okay. When I heard about the attack I was afraid you'd been hurt."

Fionna laughed nervously. "No, no… I'm fine. I mean, other than the candy people being killed and not being able to go home and being hunted, I'm great."

He put a hand on her shoulder. Through the flame shield it was barely hotter than anyone else's touch. "I can't send my people into this war," he said, "and I can't keep the prince here forever because they'll eventually invade the Fire Kingdom to get him. But I'll keep you safe, Fionna."

"Thanks, FP." She turned away from him because she didn't trust what her expression was doing. His hand dropped. "I have to stay with Gumball, though. I have a duty to protect the Candy Kingdom. When he leaves I'll have to go, too."

"I thought you'd say that," he said. He nodded to one of the guards nearby, who stepped forward to escort Fionna to the others. "I guess if you were satisfied staying away from danger it just wouldn't be you."

* * *

_A/N Thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think in a quick review. It would be much appreciated. ^^_


	4. Chapter 4

At 2 a.m. the small group sat in a circle in the floor of the room that Flame Prince had provided for Prince Gumball. It was a simple square space with a plain cot in the corner, not lodgings that the prince was accustomed too. All the same, he tried to make the best of the situation. At least they weren't still wandering around in the forest, at the mercy of whoever happened to stumble across them. Marshall had been given a room adjacent to that one, and Fionna and Cake shared one across the hall. Two guards were assigned to the area around the rooms. They acted as if they were for protection but Marshall Lee had a lurking feeling that they were really there to keep an eye on him.

"That's the worst idea ever!" said Fionna with a groan. "It'll never work. I don't w_ant_ it to work."

"It's not ideal," Prince Gumball agreed, "but it may be feasible if we can convince her."

"I'm sure you can convince her if you agree to marry her first," Fionna said with a roll of her eyes.

Prince Gumball's face twisted in disgust. "Eww."

"It's worth thinking about," shrugged Marshall. He sat with his legs crossed, hovering about six inches above the ground. "I don't know how much of a difference it would make against an entire army, though."

"Bad idea," said Cake, taking Fionna's side. "She's crazy, and not your typical cornfield crazy, either. She'd be just as likely to turn on us."

"Cornfield crazy?" repeated Gumball.

"Ice Queen is out," Fionna said. "We are not asking her for help."

"You've said that about everyone," said Marshall. He ticked off their past suggestions on pale fingers. "The Duchess of Nuts, the Party God…You're being too picky."

"I'm not picky, I'm realistic!"

"Just put the Ice Queen on the maybe list," Marshall said, peering at the notebook that Gumball had been scribbling on. Most of the names had been marked out with neat, straight lines.

"What about the Goblin Kingdom?" Cake suggested. "You were their queen once, remember, Fionna?"

"Yeah, I remember," she muttered.

"So… is that a no?" said Gumball.

"Of course it's a no, have you ever tried to convince goblins to do anything? Their rules are ridiculous!"

"Then who do you want, Fionna?" said Marshall. "You can't expect the perfect army. We're kind of desperate here."

"We need someone strong," Fionna said, adjusting the edge of her hat. "Someone who will scare them and be able to fight them off at the same time… Marshall?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… you're the vampire _king_, right?"

"No way." Marshall pushed away from the circle, shaking his head as he floated away. "Don't even think it, Fionna."

"Come on! Who's better for an army than a bunch of vampires?"

"This is not something you want to deal with," he said. "I know everyone adores me, but other vampires and I don't have much in common."

"But can't they just-"

"No, Fionna. Drop it."

"Fine." She crossed her arms and set her jaw, glowering at the floor in front of her. "I guess we'll just storm the castle with the stupid Ice Queen. That's a great plan."

With that the subject of vampire allies was discarded, but as the conversation continued Gumball kept glancing at Marshall, a gleam of speculation in his eyes.

Finally Cake said, "How about we argue over all this tomorrow? I think we could all use some sleep. Maybe we won't be gnawing at each other's throats."

"Good idea," Fionna said, her voice garbled by a yawn. She stood up and stretched, her fingertips almost reaching the low stone ceiling. "Goodnight, guys."

Prince Gumball said, "Goodnight, Fionna. Goodnight, Cake."

Marshall just raised a hand in a casual farewell. The girls walked through the doorway and the vampire started to follow until the prince stopped him.

"Marshall, could you wait one minute?"

The vampire hesitated on the threshold before slowly floating back to the middle of the room. Gumball stood and flipped the notebook closed, placing it carefully on the corner of his cot.

"I was thinking," the prince said, tapping a finger against his chin, "about what Fionna said. About your fellow vampires."

"You've got to be kidding. You of all people should know better than to-"

"No, no, that isn't what I mean," Gumball said, cutting him off. "Vampires can't be trusted, especially not in a matter of such importance. No offense intended."

"Of course not, why would I ever take offense to that?" said Marshall, rolling his eyes.

"No… actually I was thinking of the other side of your family."

Marshall stared at him for a long moment. He immediately knew to whom the prince referred, but he hoped that he was mistaken. At last he confirmed, "You mean demons."

"Well… yes, I suppose I do."

"You've got to be kidding me. How in the hell do you see demons as better allies than vampires? What's wrong with you?"

He expected Gumball to get flustered, perhaps even confrontational. What he didn't expect was the somber expression that masked the prince's face, imparting a severe seriousness that the vampire had rarely seen in him. "I am trying to rescue my kingdom, Marshall," he said flatly. "My people are dying. Like you said to Fionna, we cannot afford to be choosy. Vampires would be just as bad as the opposing army, but demons… they can be controlled."

"Sure, if you're my mom. She's the only one who can do anything with them. Have you been to the Nightosphere lately?"

"I haven't," said Prince Gumball, "but last I heard she was willing to welcome you back into the fold. Perhaps you could speak with her."

"Apparently you haven't tuned into the news lately," said Marshall. He inverted in the air and watched Gumball while hanging upside down, his hair falling away from his face. "The last time I talked to my mom I ruined whatever relationship we still had for good. She wants nothing to do with me and I don't really want to see her, either. She'd never help me and I'd never ask for it. Drop it from your list of options, Gummy. It'll get you nowhere."

"Marshall," he said slowly, "I don't think you understand. I would do _anything_ to rescue my kingdom."

"Okay…" said the vampire, waiting for him to get to the point. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"If that involves overthrowing another dictator, particularly a cruel one," said the prince, "I have no qualms about it."

Slowly, Marshall flipped himself upright to stare at Gumball. A lock of black hair drooped into his face but he didn't notice.

"I must be hearing this wrong," he said, certain that Gumball wouldn't even consider the possibility. "Because there for a second it sounded like you might be thinking of staging a coup against my mom."

"That's a strong way to put it," Prince Gumball said. He fidgeted a bit beneath the intensity of the vampire's gaze, adjusting his collar with a curled finger. "I'm merely suggesting that we place control of the Nightosphere into more capable hands. Hands that would guide the demons into battle against our foes."

"There are so many holes in that plan that I don't even know where to start. Oh wait, yeah, I do. If we can't fight off Lemongrab's army what makes you think the four of us can storm the Nightosphere and take over? That's stupid, Bubba. I know you're upset but you're not even thinking straight." He started floating toward the door, keen to escape the conversation, but Prince Gumball seized his arm.

"It won't require an attack from the four of us," he said, the calm of his voice unwavering. "It will only require you."

In a flash of intuition Marshall understood. He yanked his arm from Gumball's grasp and backed away from him. "You're insane!" he said, appalled. "I hate my mom, but I'm not going to kill her!"

"That is not what I said!" Gumball protested. "She wouldn't have to die. Once you defeated her you could simply lock her away for a few eternities. It would be your decision."

"Do you see what's happening to you? Who did you sound like just then? _A million years dungeon!_" he mimicked, the mockery more disgust than jest. "We're not going down this road. _I'm_ not going down this road. You go to Ice Queen or the goblins or the idiot hot dog knights for all I care, but you stay away from this one, you got that, Gummy?"

Before the prince could respond Marshall had gone, sweeping out the door in a blur of shadow.

"But my people," Gumball said to the empty room, his eyes hollow. "Dying."

A few hours later Fionna woke with a gasp. She sat straight up, clutching the thin, threadbare sheet of her cot with the death grip that she reserved for her sword. Her fingers crawled across the flat mattress until they wrapped around the hilt of the weapon, her panic ebbing as she touched the familiar crystal. She wiped the back of a hand across her forehead. It came away smeared with cold sweat.

Cake slept at the foot of her bed. In the near darkness she could barely make out her friend's white shape, curled into a tight ball.

Fionna knew she should shake off the nightmare and go back to sleep. It might have been the last chance that they would have to rest for a while. Still, she couldn't force her eyelids to shut. When she thought about again being submerged into complete darkness her skin crawled and the phantom scent of a burning kingdom wafted to her on the still air.

She slipped out of bed carefully, upsetting the mattress as little as possible. Cake didn't even fidget. Fionna knew how her best friend loved to sleep, and she hadn't gotten nearly enough of it lately.

She feared the retrieving the sword would wake Cake, so instead she resigned herself to being armed only with the small knife that was tucked just under the edge of her skirt. She left her hat and her backpack on the floor and tiptoed into the hallway on sock-clad feet, inching the door closed behind her.

Two guards still stood watch, one on each end of the hall. They may have been the same ones that had originally been posted; all of them looked the same to her. Without speaking to them she walked past and started down another hallway that branched off of theirs. One of the guards twitched as she passed by, as if considering stopping her, but then he glanced at Marshall Lee's door and remained fixed in place.

Fionna knew she shouldn't wander around the Fire Kingdom, especially not alone, but that didn't stop her from choosing random corridors that wound in widening patterns, her feet padding silently against the stone floor. She stored the turns in her mind so she could retrace her steps back to the room. Fionna only wanted to clear her head. She planned to be back before Cake woke up and freaked out, although making the cat worry would be only be fair considering that Cake had abandoned her to run off to Lord Monichromicorn.

As Fionna turned a corner she nearly walked directly into one of the fire people. Startled, she stumbled back and started to blurt out an apology. Then she looked up and realized it was Flame Prince.

"Oh, uh… Hi," she said awkwardly, taking an extra step back. "Sorry, I was just, umm, walking. Didn't see you there."

She felt herself start to blush. When she realized it was happening the heat on her cheeks intensified.

"That's fine," said Flame Prince. He stared at her, his hair burning lazily. "What are you doing walking around so late?"

"Well I was just awake, and I had a dream about… something." She rubbed at the back of her neck and glanced away. "What're you doing? Shouldn't you be asleep too?"

"I probably should be," he said, "but it's impossible to relax when so much is happening. My guards say soldiers are roaming around on the surface, searching. If they discover I'm hiding all of you here I'll have to pay for it."

Fionna felt a surge of guilt. It was her fault that he was even in such a situation. She had coerced Gumball and Marshall to take shelter here, thinking only of their safety. She hadn't considered the effects that their presence would have on Flame Prince and his kingdom.

"I'm sorry," she said. She lowered her head and twin curtains of hair fell into her face. She pushed it back automatically. "We'll go. We can find somewhere else to crash, it's not a big deal."

"Of course it's a big deal. If it wasn't you would not have come here. It was probably hard for you, after what we've been through."

She wasn't sure what to say to that so she just nodded.

"There aren't any hard feelings, you know," said Flame Prince. "I'm not angry. I care about you."

Fionna fought the flush that flared at those words and lost. "Me too," she said.

"Since neither of us are sleeping anyway you should come have a drink with me. I have tea. Do you like tea?"

"Sure, tea is good."

"Good. Come on."

Flame Prince started down the hallway. As he moved past her Fionna felt a soft warmth radiating from him, the breath of a flickering fire. She remembered the warning that Gumball had given her when they had arrived, that rekindling relationships was not good for their current situation. She knew he was right. Spending too much time with FP was a bad idea, especially since she got a warm fluttering feeling in her stomach every time she looked at him.

She should just walk back to her room and try to sleep. She remembered all of the turns. It would only take five minutes to find it.

Instead she followed Flame Prince and hoped that Gumball wouldn't find out.

* * *

_A/N Thanks for reading! And thank you in advance for any reviews. ^^_


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